HB 172 — An Act amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes, in service and facilities, further providing for billing procedures.

PRINTER'S NO.   2802

                     THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



                         HOUSE BILL
                         No. 172
                                               Session of
                                                 2026

     INTRODUCED BY LAWRENCE, BANTA, BENNINGHOFF, COOPER, GALLAGHER,
        GILLEN, KUZMA, PROBST, PUGH AND ZIMMERMAN, JANUARY 28, 2026

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON CONSUMER PROTECTION, TECHNOLOGY AND
        UTILITIES, JANUARY 28, 2026


                                     AN ACT
 1   Amending Title 66 (Public Utilities) of the Pennsylvania
 2      Consolidated Statutes, in service and facilities, further
 3      providing for billing procedures.
 4      The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
 5   hereby enacts as follows:
 6      Section 1.    Section 1509 of Title 66 of the Pennsylvania
 7   Consolidated Statutes is amended to read:
 8   § 1509.   Billing procedures.
 9      (a)    Time period for payment without penalty.--All bills
10   rendered by a public utility as defined in paragraph (1)(i),
11   (ii), (vi) or (vii) of the definition of "public utility" in
12   section 102 (relating to definitions) to its service customers,
13   except bills for installation charges, shall allow at least 15
14   days for nonresidential customers and 20 days for residential
15   customers from the date of transmittal of the bill for payment
16   without incurring any late payment penalty charges therefor.
17      (b)    Receipt of monthly bills.--All customers shall be
18   permitted to receive bills monthly and shall be notified of
 1   their right thereto.
 2      (c)   Itemization.--All bills shall be itemized to separately
 3   show amounts for basic service, Federal excise taxes, applicable
 4   State sales and gross receipts taxes, to the extent practicable,
 5   fuel adjustment charge, if any, State tax adjustment charge or
 6   such other similar components of the total bill as the
 7   commission may order.
 8      (d)   Fuel adjustment charge generally.--Any electric or gas
 9   public utility billing customers on a bimonthly or quarterly
10   basis and rendering interim statements or bills each month shall
11   include in such interim statement or bill an amount for the fuel
12   adjustment charge based upon one-half of the total expected
13   bimonthly kilowatt hour or cubic foot billing or one-third of
14   the total expected quarterly billing and using the fuel
15   adjustment charge rate applicable in the month of the interim
16   statement or bill. At the time of preparing the bimonthly or
17   quarterly bill, an appropriate adjustment shall be made in the
18   total fuel adjustment charge billing for the period.
19      (e)   Calculation of fuel adjustment charge.--Any public
20   utility rendering bills on a bimonthly basis or quarterly basis
21   shall calculate the fuel adjustment charge per kilowatt hour or
22   cubic foot for the entire period as the weighted average of the
23   two monthly rates or the three monthly rates whichever is
24   applicable.
25      (f)   Previously unbilled service.--
26            (1)   Except as provided in paragraph (2), a public
27      utility as defined in paragraph (1)(ii) or (vii) of the
28      definition of "public utility" in section 102 may not render
29      a bill for previously unbilled service that has accrued
30      outside of the previous 12-month period.

20260HB0172PN2802                    - 2 -
1         (2)   Paragraph (1) does not apply to a bill that is
2     delayed as a result of:
3               (i)    proceedings of the commission or a court of
4         competent jurisdiction; or
5               (ii)    fraud, theft or meter tampering.
6     Section 2.      This act shall take effect in 60 days.




20260HB0172PN2802                   - 3 -